Sole-channeling machine.



I F. WALD.

SOLE CHANNELING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1911.

1,022,714. Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

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m Inventor.-

COL UMBXA FLANDGRAPH CO" WASHINGTON. D. c.

P. WALD.

SOLE OHANNELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1 912.

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l /{Znessealnvenarv COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.,WA5HINa'roN. u. c.

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FRANK WALD, 0F DAL-MATIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MA- GHINEEY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOLE-CHANNELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dalmatia, in the county of Northumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sole- Channeling Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to sole channeling machines and more particularly to such machines wherein the channeling knives are reciprocated in the line of feed, cutting on one stroke and returning with the feed on the other stroke.

It is common, in machines to which the present invention is preferably applied, to hold the sole in a fixed position during the cutting stroke of the knives, by grasping the sole between a retaining foot and a work support. The channel knife is provided with a gage to contact with the surface of a sole and thereby determine the depth of the cut. This gage is usually under spring pressure and may consist of a presser-foot of any desired form. During the return stroke of the knife, the motion of the presser-foot is utilized to feed the sole into position to receive another out. A suitable edge gage is provided to locate the sole with respect to the knives. One type, of machines having the general characteristics described above, may be found in the British Letters Patent No. 3786 to Alfred J. Boult, dated February 17, 1910, to which reference may be had. This patent illustrates and described a channeling machine adapted particularly to operate upon soles for turn shoes and is, therefore, provided with a shoulder and a channel knife and two presser-feet. As this machine is well suited to display the advantages of the present invention, it will be used for the purpose of illustration and description, it being understood, however, that this machine is used as a representative of the general class hereinbefore described.

It has been found desirable to provide comparatively strong springs to hold the presser-feet in contact with the sole during the cutting stroke of the knives in order that they shall not lift the sole from the work support and thereby out too deep into the sole, or, conversely, ride up through the sole and not cut deep enough. With springs of suflicient strength for this purpose it is difficult to turn the sole into contact with the edge gage. This pressure, at the time of turning the sole, is also objectionable in that the presser-feet flesh up and destroy the surface of the work. Also, the force required to turn the sole under the presser-feet is so great that the sole edge may be jammed against the edge gage and thus distort the sole and destroy the accuracy of the out.

It is the object of this invention to provide a channeling machinewherein a spring tension of any desired strength may be exerted upon the presser-feet during the cutting stroke of the knives but yet leave the work comparatively free at times to permit the sole to be turned to cause the cut or cuts to be made parallel to the contour of the sole.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a channeling machine which will not injure or distort the surface or edges of the sole.

To the accomplishment of these objects and such others as may hereinafter appear, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, the invention comprises the features and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which 'Figure 1 is a left-hand side elevation of a channeling machine having the present invention embodied therein; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine, the work support and edge gage being omitted; and Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on theline 33 on Fig. 2.

There is shown in Fig. 1 a work support 1 suitably mounted in a projection from a. column 2. An edge gage 3 is provided, having actuating mechanism generally indicated at 4: of which a full description is unnecessary as it forms no part of the present invention. A channeling knife 5 is adjustably mounted in a knife block 6 carried on the lower end of the slide 7. A shoulder knife 8 is mounted upon a second slide 9, both these slides being mounted in suitable ways on an oscillating carrier 10. A spring 11 is adapted to act upon the upper end of the slide 7 and to force it downward into contact with a sole upon the work support. A similar spring 111 is provided to depress the slide 9. A presser-foot 12 is carried by the channel knife block 6 and is adapted to bear upon the surface of the sole, thereby controlling the depth of the cut made by the channel knife The shoulder knife is also provided with a presser-foot 13, which, however, is mounted for independent yielding movement relatively to the knife in a manner and for a purpose to be described later. The carrier 10 is pivoted at 14 so that it may be swung in the direction of feed of the sole as indicated by the arrow on Fig. 1. Near the lower end of the carrier there is pivoted one end of a link 15, the other end of which is connected'to a block within a slotted crank arm 16. An arm 17 is adapted to rock the slotted arm 16 through suitable connections with a cam 18 (Fig. 2). The cam 18 is mounted upon a shaft 19 which is driven from a pulley 20 belted to any suitable source of power. The forward end of the shaft 19 is provided with an eccentric pin 21 which operates in a horizontal slot in the back of a slide 22 mounted in guides on the frame of the machine. The slide 22 carries a yieldingly mounted foot 23 which has a serrated under-surface for firmly engaging the surface of the work. The foot 23 is adjustably secured to a rod 24 carried by lugs on the slide 22. A spring 25, having suitable supporting nuts 26, exerts a constant downward pressure upon the rod 24 which is limited, however, by check nuts 27. By means of the parts described, the shaft 19 will act through the cam 18, and the connections described to the link 15, to reciprocate the carrier and the parts mounted thereon in the line of the feed of the sole. When the carrier 10 is at the right-hand end (viewing Fig. 1) of its stroke, the eccentric pin 21 operates to move the worlcretaining foot 23 out of engagement with the sole, leaving the sole free upon the work supporteXcept that it is held in engagement therewith by the presser-feet. The cam 18 then operates to move the carrier 10 to the left, and the sole is fed to the left with the carrier by means of the engagement of the presser-feet 12 and 13 with the sole. At the completion of the movement to the left, the work-retaining foot 13 is moved downward, by means of the pin 21, into engagement with the work, which is thus held firmly upon the work support and prevented from moving while the carrier 10 moves back to the right. The cutting edges of the knives 5 and 3 are so directed that the cut is formed during the backward stroke.

In forming the shoulder cut in the mar gin of the sole, for turn work, it is desirable that the depth of out be regulated from the surface of the sole which is in contact with the work support, as the exposed edge of the sole, after it is incorporated in a shoe, should be of uniform thickness. To this end the slide which supports the shoulder knife is adjustable, so that the knife may be placed at a desired distance above the surface of the work support and the shoulder knife presser-footis mounted to have a vertical movement relative to the shoulder knife so that it may ride over any irregu larities on the surface of the sole without disturbing the predetermined vertical adjustment of the shoulder knife. This yielding connection may be secured by mounting the shoulder knife presser-foot 13 upon an arm 28 projecting from the lower end of a vertically movable slide 29 guided by suitable gibs 011 the carrier 10. The slide 29 is provided with a lug 30 to which is secured the lower end of a pin 31 the upper end of which is passed through a second lug 32 on the carrier 10. A coiled spring 33 is so mounted upon the pin 31 that the slide 29 is urged downward.

It has been found that when the knives and presser-feet are moving from right to left (viewing Fig. 1), that is, during the feed of the sole, any great pressure is unnecessary as the sole is free to move with these parts. It is during this motion that the sole must be turned to keep its edge in contact with the edge gage 3. Evidently the pressure of the resser-feet, as actuated by their respective springs, will tend to prevent the turning of the sole, therefore it is desirable that means he provided for relieving this pressure until the cut-ting stroke of the knives is commenced. To this end there is secured between the nuts 27, on the rod 24, an arm 34. A stud 35, one end of which is secured to the arm 34, carries at its other end a spring 36. The lower end of this spring is secured to a plate 37 which is fixed to the lug on the slide 7 which carries the channel knife block 6. A second stud 38 is adjustably secured to the end of the arm 34 and is connected by a spring 39 to a plate 40 fixed to the pin 31. It has been stated that during the feeding stroke of the knives and their coacting parts the foot 23 is lifted by means of the pin 24. This will lift the arm 34 and through the springs 36 and 39 tend to lift the two presser-feet. It is not desirable that the entire pressure of the resser-feet on the sole be removed, therefore the springs 36 and 39 are slightly weaker than the springs 111 and 33. With this construction, as these respective pairs of springs are working in opposite directions, the pressure exerted by the presser-feet upon the work is considerably relieved when the foot 23 is raised. Thus it is made possible to turn the sole easily during the feed stroke of the carrier 10 in order to keep it in engagement with the edge gage. This is particularly desirable when working upon what is known as a cacks or soles for childrens shoes, as these have practically no straight lines in their contour and the sole must be almost constantly turned to conform the cut or cuts to its contour. If a sole is hard to turn beneath the presserfeet, it is much more liable to be jammed against the edge gage, which will bur the edge and locate the cuts in a wrong relation thereto. This feature is also advantageous when working upon soft stock which is frequently found in soles, as the sole may be turned without twisting or jamming it. The invention is also valuable in that the torsional strain and wear upon the slides 9 and 10 during the feed is greatly reduced, and evidently this will admit of more rapid operation. It has also been found that where the resser-feet are dragged over the sole at a constant pressure the surface of the leather is scraped off to some extent and the presser-feet will not engage the sole firmly for the feeding operation.

\Vhile this invention has been described in connection with a channeling machine for operation upon turn soles, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it may be adapted to machines for operating upon welt or any other insoles, and to other sole channeling machines. It will be clear, also, to those skilled in this class of machines and with the general objects of the present invention in view, that changes may be made in the details of structure, the described and illustrated embodiment thereof being intended as an exploitation of its underlying essentials, the features whereof are definitely stated in their true scope in the following claims.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. A channeling machine, having, in combination, a reciprocating knife, a gage reciprocating with the knife and constantly in engagement with the sole, means to hold the work during the cutting stroke of the knife, and means for reducing the pressure of the gage during the idle stroke of the knife, substantially as described.

2. A channeling machine, having, in combination, a work support, channel and edge knives and means for reciprocating them in the line of feed, presser-feet movable with the knives in the line of feed, means for causing the presser-feet to determine the depth of the cut during the cutting stroke of the knives and to feed the work during the return stroke, and means for varying the pressure of the presser-feet upon the work at the ends of each stroke, substantially as described.

3. A channeling machine, having, in combination, a reciprocating cutter constructed to cut on the backward stroke, work feeding means operating during the forward stroke of the cutter, a work retainer movable to and from the work to hold the work during the cutting stroke, and means under control of the work retainer whereby the pressure of the feeding means upon the work is reduced during the forward stroke of the cutter, substantially as described.

4:. A channeling machine, having, in combination, reciprocating channel and edge knives, presser-feet reciprocating with said knives and spring-pressed against the work, a work retainer movable to and from the work to hold the work during the cutting stroke of the knives, and means operating in timed relation with the work retainer to increase the spring pressure of the presserfeet while said retainer is holding the work, substantially as described.

5. A channeling machine, having, in combination, cutting means adapted to reciprocate in the line of feed of the sole, sole feeding means reciprocating with the cutting means and constantly in contact with the sole, a work retainer to hold the work during the cutting stroke of the knives, and mechanism to decrease the pressure of the feeding means on the sole at the time of turning the sole to conform the cut to the contour of the sole, substantially as described.

6. A channeling machine, having, in combination, a reciprocatory tool for operating on the margin of the sole, clamping means for holding the sole against movement during the operation of the tool, a sole feeding device to frictionally engage the surface of the sole and mounted to move with the tool, and means operating during the feed to concurrently relieve the clamping pressure on the sole and the degree of pressure exerted by the feeding device, substantially as described.

7. A channeling machine, having, in combination, a reciprocating lip forming knife, a spring pressed slide reciprocating with the knife, a gage on said slide, a work retainer movable to and from the work to hold the work during the cutting stroke of the knife, and a yielding connection between said work retainer and gage supporting slide constructed and arranged to act in opposition to the spring pressure on the gage when the work retainer is withdrawn from the work, substantially as described.

8. A channeling machine, having, in combination, reciprocating channel and edge knives, a gage for each knife reciprocating therewith and spring pressed against the work, a work retainer movable to and from the Work to hold the Work during the out ment or out of engagement with the Work, ting stroke of the knives, a bracket on the substantially as described.

Work retainer extending over the gages, and springs connecting said bracket With the FRANK WALD gages by virtue of Which the amount of pres- Vitnesses:

sure transmitted by the gages is increased or B. M. BUBB,

decreased as the Work retainer is in engage- HILIP H. FRAHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

